Ethics in the News

Online aggression

Peter Singer has probably done more good than many of us will ever do. Despite this, he has received threats, people have protested to stop him from lecturing, his views have been compared to those defended by Nazis, etc. How has this affected him? Should we ever refrain from defending controversial views? Is it okay if academics avoid working on controversial topics because they’re worried about their reputation or job prospects? Should academics be able to publish their controversial ideas anonymously? Should we engage in a calm and rational way with just any view? Where do we draw the line? These are some of the questions I asked Peter Singer.